Ignition lock



Dec. 1, R. BENJAMIN IGNITION LOCK Filed Aug. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fi a 46 Wu M7 INVENTOR.

fizz 32772362742? 77/ Q MK I A TY 'URNEY DCC. 1, 1931. R BENJAMIN 1,834,891

IGNITION LOCK Filed Aug. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. 71227 7432 22 7?? a 4 c-nlm W /W A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE I RALPH BENJAMIN, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD 'IO JOHN NE-LARICO, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK IGNITION LOCK Application filed August 30, 1930. Serial No. 479,011.

The object of the invention is to provide a devicefor use on auto-vehicles in conjunction with the conventional ignition lock, so that, even though the key for the latter be available, it can serve no purpose for the reason that the ignition circuit is controlled by a combinationswitch comprising a plurality of operating dials, any orall of which may be changed at any time by the user to secure new combinations for the operation of the switch; toprovide a mechanism of this character that will enclose all of the vital parts of the ignition circuit, so that access to them may not be surreptitiously obtained to connect the battery direct to the ignition coil; to provide an apparatus including an audible signal which is actuated by the insertion of the key in the conventional ignition look when the combination switch is set to prevent the closing of the ignition circuit; to provide a construction which will effect the actuation of the audible signal on any attempt of an unauthorized person to secure access to the enclosing casing; and to provide an apparatus of this nature which is generally of simple form and. susceptible of cheap manufacture.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

V Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a portion of the instrument board of an auto vehicle on which the apparatus comprising the invention is mounted, the front View of the combination switch being shown.

Figure 2 is a' sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1.

' Figure 3 is a sectional view on the'plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2, the combination switch being set in circuit-closing position for the ignition circuit.

Figure 4 is a rear View of the combination switch showing it set in circuit-interrupting position for the ignition circuit.

Figure 5 is a view of the switch and ignition coil assembly, and

Figure 6is a detail view of the switch housing cover.

The invention comprises a casing or housing 10 secured to the back of the dash 11 and enclosing a combination switch 12 constituting a vital part of the invention and also enclosing the rear portion of the conventional ignition switch 14 which is operable with the usual key from the front of the dash on which said switch is mounted. Since the invention comprises an audible signal, the casing 10 also encloses the same which is in the form of a horn 15, the energizing means for the horn (a battery 16) being also enclosed in the casing. This so that there may be no opportunity for tampering with the horn, its battery, or the switches 12 or 14 without obtaining access to the casing.

Since the ignition coil 17 is generally remote from the switch 14, the invention also contemplates the enclosing of that in a metal shell 18, secured to the dash 19-if the coil be mounted on the latter which is usually the case. A pipe 20 coupled with the shell and extending from the latter to the casing 10 with which it is also connected constitutes a conduit for the passage of the primary conductor 21 which usually extends from the switch 14 to the coil but in the present instance is interrupted to include the switch 12 between theswitch 14 and the coil.

The switch 12 includes an insulating panel 21 mounted on the rear of the dash 11 and carrying on its rear face the conducting bars 22, 23 and 24 supported by the straps 25. The bars 22', 23 and 24 are of resilient material, each having a free end projecting a material distance beyond the adjacent supporting strap, so that it may be flexed. The free end 26 of the bar 22 is straight while the free ends 27 and 28 of the bars 23 and 24 are'right angular being directed respectively towards the body portion of the opposite bar so as to normally connect therewith. The bar 24 has a lateral extension with a free extremity 29 paralleling the body portion of the bar.

The insertion of the switch 12 in the line 21 comprises connecting the conductor 21 with the bar 22, the bar 24 being connected with the switch 14 by a conductor 30.

The right angular extremities of the bars 23 and 24 are flexed by the cams 31 and 32 mounted on the shafts 33 and 34, suitably j ournalled in the panel 21 and projecting through the dash, on the front of which they carry the dials 35 and 36. Afriction disk 37, mounted on the shaft 38 similarly supported in the panel 21 is in peripheral contact with the intermediate portion ofthe bars 23 and 24 and thereby a slight friction is imposed on the turning of the shaft 38 through the medium of the dial 39v which is mounted thereon and is disposed against the front face-of the dash. The dials 35, 36 and 39 are angularly adjustable on their respective shafts, so

that the combination may be changed, the indications on the dials beingregisterable each with its respective mark on the front of the dashy'" i "The shafts '33 and 34, in addition to the cams3l and 32, carry right angular arms 41 and42, so positioned'with respect to thefcainsthat'when the cam 31 flexes the extremity 27 the one leg of the arm' 41 will engage the extremity '29, and when the cam 32 flexes the extremity 38 the one leg of the arm 42 will engage the extremity 26. The shaft 38 carries a straight arm 43 which aligns with the remaining legs of the right angular arms when the latter are engaged with the extremities 29 and 26.

The straight arm e3 has yielding terminals bearing against the extremities of the legs of'the right angular arms when aligned 'withthe latter. 7 p

' The dials having been previously set for registration of selectedindications with the 41, the straight arm 43, the right angular arm l2,"the extremity 26, the bar '22 and thence over to the conductor 21 to the igni- "tionicoil and thence to the distributor and 'ba'cktothebattery in the usual fashion, In

this arrangement of the parts, the right angular extremities 27 and 28 are shifted out of engagement with the bars 21- and 23 by the springing in, each to engage action of "the cams 31 and 32. f'Wh'enthe ignitioncircu t 1s to be interrupted, however,

"the dials are rotated, so that the cams are shifted out of engagement with the bars 23 3.116124, the right'angular extremities then the body portion of the oppositebar. The rotation of the two outsidefdials'i's sufficientzto effectively interrupt the ignition circuit but as additional precaution, the central dial should be rotated, so that the straight arm will as sume the position shownin Figure 3. Since it is necessary, for the continuity of the ignition circuit, that the rightlangular arms and straight arms be in contact, the shifting of the dials to break this contact serves to interrupt the ignition at a plurality of points and it cannot be reestablished except by the adjustment of thedials to position selected indications opposite the marks 40.

When the right angular extremities 27 and 28 are engaged each with the body portion of the opposite bar, an alarm circuit is'e's tabl'ished which includes the car battery and the horn 15, the latter being electrically connected with the bar 23 by a conductor 44, the opposite terminal ofthe horn being grounded as indicated at 45. With this relation of the parts should anyone insert a key in the switch 14 for the purpose, even though it should be the kind to operate the switch, that act would not close the'ignition circuit because that would be open by reason of the positions of the arms on the dial shafts,

but a circuit would be established on the born 15, current from the car battery passing to the switch, over the conductor-3U, the

bar'2(l,'the bar 23, the conductor 4a, through the horn and back over the ground'to the-battery. Electrically the bars 23 and 24 are in parallel when the cams 31 and 32 are disengaged from the'fiexible extremities, vand even though one of the cams should be engaged with its attendant flexible bar portion, the other flexible extremity would still serve to conduct c'ufrrentito the born. The horn serves as an alarm to indicate that the lock is being tampered with.

The'casing' 10 is closed with a removable cover 46 and this is secured in place by a screw 47 threadingly engaged with sleeves 48 and't9 positioned on the opposite end Walls of the casing,thescrew passing through eyes 50 positioned on' the inner'face ofthe cover and disposed adjacent the sleeves 40 when the cover is attached. i

{Since the removal of the screw would perinit removal ofthe cover and thereby give access to the. switch 12 to short-circuit the V latter, the alarm born 15 is madeoperable by lthe screw should there be any attempt to remove it. To this end the screw is formed 115 with a diamet'ri cally contracted portion 51 which, when the screw isfully inserted .pro-

vides a clearance space forthe rockable switch member 52 which is mounted on a single pivtension spring ag n construction permit ting rocking of the switch me'mberin either I ot," as indicated at 5 3, andis retained in a V.

:position radially of the screw bv meansof a 1 20 direction; If the screw be'rotated to 'withdraw it the switch member 52 will berocked is towards and willengage the fixed contact '55 and the horn 15 willthus be energized by reason of the circuit which includes the battery 56 being then closed,'one terminalof the battery being connected with a conductor 57 and the other terminal bethe horn; by e ing connected with the switch member 52 by a conductor 58, the contact 55 being grounded as indicated at 59.

By reason of the switch member 52 rocking in either direction, it is possible to insert the screw (it it has been detached as will sometimes be necessary to permit access to the interior of the casing 10 for repairs to the apparatus) without operating the horn. In this case, the switch member 52 will be swung away from the contact 55, until the screw shall have been fully inserted, when it will enter the clearance space provided by the contracted portion and be swung over into engagement with the fixed contact upon any attempt to remove the screw.

The invention having been described what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A device for the control of an ignition circuit comprising a combination switch having conducting bars provided with laterally yielding resilient extremities, cams positioned to deflect said extremities which are formed with right angular extensions each to normally engage the body portion of the opposite bar, dials operatively connected with said cams, switch arms also operatively connected with said cams, and contact members engageable with said switch arms when the cams deflect said resilient extremities but disengaged from said arms in any other positions of the cams.

2. A device for the control of an ignition circuit comprising a combination switch having conducting bars provided with laterally yielding resilient extremities, cams positioned to deflect said extremities which are formed with right angular extensions each to normally engage the body portion of the opposite bar, dials operatively connected with said cams, switch arms also operatively connected with said cams, and contact members engageable with said switch arms when the cams deflect said resilient extremities but disengaged tro-m said arms in any other positions of the cams, and an additional dial operated switch arm interposed between the first two and engageable therewith when said cams are in deflecting relation with said resilient extremities.

3. A device for the control of an ignition circuit comprising a combination switch having conductor bars provided with laterally yielding resilient extremities, means for deflecting the bars to engage the extremity of 1 one with the body portion of the other,'switch arms operatively connected with said means, and contact members engageable with said switch arms when said means is in deflecting position but disengaged from said arms in any other positions of said means.

4. A device for the control of an ignition circuit comprising a combination switch having parallel conducting bars provided with laterally yielding resilient extremities, means for flexing the bars to engage the extremity of one with the body portion of the other, said means comprising a plurality of elements, switch arms carried by each of said elements, and contact members engageable with the switch arms of terminal elements when the elements are in bar flexing positions, said switch arms being engageable one with the other in the bar flexing positions of the elements, the arms being discngageable from each other and from the contact members in any other positions of said elements than bar flexing position.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

RALPH BENJAMIN. 

